Written Answers Wednesday 25 October 2006

Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the process is for introducing a ban on alcohol consumption in specific public places.

Cathy Jamieson: Bans on alcohol consumption in specific public places are dealt with by local authority byelaws. Where a local authority wishes to put such a byelaw in place, detailed proposals are discussed and agreed with the Scottish Executive. This part of the process is designed to ensure consistency and general compatibility with Scots law and that there is support for the proposal from the police and Procurator Fiscal’s office. Once the proposed byelaws have been agreed they are then advertised by the local authority for 30 days. If there are public objections to the proposed byelaws these will be considered and addressed as necessary. Ministers are then invited to confirm the byelaw. Once the byelaw is confirmed by the Scottish ministers, the local authority is then able to set a date for implementation.

Bridges

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a list of trunk roads on which there are swing bridges, indicating the location of each bridge.

Tavish Scott: Swing bridges are located on the A82, A83 and the A830 trunk roads. In total there are six locations where swing bridges carry the trunk road over canals. The locations are as follows:

  A830 at Mallaig Road at Banavie - just north of Fort William

  A82 at Laggan - between Loch Lochy and Loch Oich

  A82 at Aberchalder - just north of Loch Oich

  A82 at Fort Augustus

  A82 at Tomnahurich - just south of Inverness

  A83 at Ardrishaig - over the Crinan Canal.

  The first five bridges on the list carry the trunk road over the Caledonian Canal.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for Scottish trunk roads and can be contacted for more information if required.

Bridges

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21883 by Tavish Scott on 25 January 2006, what method of dispute resolution has been chosen in relation to the recovery of the costs incurred on the repairs of the damage caused to the Erskine Bridge by an offshore structure.

Tavish Scott: Since January 2006 the other parties involved in the action have declined to discuss any form of resolution of the matter and the Executive is pursuing its legal action against the parties responsible for the damage to the Erskine Bridge. A legal hearing to determine liability and the amount of damages has been fixed to take place in the Court of Session commencing on 22 January 2008. Due to the number of parties involved in the action and the complexity of the case it is expected that the hearing will continue until March 2008.

  Transport Scotland has operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information.

Bridges

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21883 by Tavish Scott on 25 January 2006, when an outcome is likely to be achieved anent the dispute over the payment of the cost of repairs to the Erskine Bridge.

Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28903 on 25 October 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

  Transport Scotland has operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information.

Central Heating

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a copy of the contract awarded by Communities Scotland to British Gas for the delivery of the next stage of the Warm Deal scheme and central heating programme.

Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Copies of the contract are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number No 40709). For reasons of commercial confidentiality certain sections of the contract will be withheld.

Central Heating

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals are on the waiting list, opened by the Eaga Partnership Ltd in April 2006, for referrals under the Warm Deal scheme and central heating programme.

Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  The number of applicants on the Warm Deal Programme list, as notified by Eaga, was 2,204 at the end of September 2006.

  The number of applicants on the central heating programme list, as notified by Eaga, was 12,319 at the end of September 2006.

  It should be noted that not all householders who apply to the programmes will necessarily fulfil the eligibility criteria.

Central Heating

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the new Warm Deal scheme and central heating programme will be open for applications.

Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  The programme has remained open for applications during the re-letting of the contract for a Managing Agent.

  Eaga Partnership continued to record the details of householders who contacted them until 30 September 2006 and Scottish Gas began recording householders details when they took over administration of the programmes on 1 October 2006.

Concessionary Travel

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to support community transport for those with a concessionary travel card who live in areas where there are no commercial bus routes.

Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the availability of concessionary travel for the elderly on non-registered bus services, such as dial-a-bus schemes.

Tavish Scott: The Executive’s Rural Community Transport Initiative supports community transport services in areas where there are no public transport services or where they are very limited.

  All scheduled bus services which are available to the general public participate in the Scotland-wide free bus travel scheme for older and disabled people. While the Executive has no plans at present to extend the free bus travel scheme to include non-registered services such as community transport, the operation of the scheme will be closely monitored over its first two years and changes will be considered in light of the evidence obtained.

Concessionary Travel

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what the actual expenditure on the national concessionary travel scheme has been up to this point of the financial year.

Tavish Scott: Noting that bus operators do not all submit their claims in a timely fashion, the sum of actual payments made to operators up to 17 October 2006 is £83,751,751.

Concessionary Travel

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures will be taken to address any overspend in the budget for the national concessionary travel scheme as a result of the "higher than expected usage" identified by Audit Scotland.

Tavish Scott: Noting that Audit Scotland did not identify "higher than expected usage", a capping mechanism is in any case in place, thus ensuring the budget cannot overspend.

Concessionary Travel

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact any overspend on the national concessionary travel scheme in 2006-07 will have on the £163 million budget for the scheme in 2007-08.

Tavish Scott: As a capping mechanism has been agreed as an integral part of the scheme for 2006-07 and 2007-08, it is not possible for the budget to be overspent in either year.

Concessionary Travel

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether all categories of the population who are eligible for free bus travel will continue to be in 2007-08, in light of the identification by Audit Scotland of "higher than expected usage" of the national concessionary travel scheme in 2006-07.

Tavish Scott: The Executive has no current plans to amend the operation of the Scotland-wide free bus travel scheme for older and disabled people in the way suggested, since its budget already allows for increased usage.

Concessionary Travel

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what methodology was applied and what agencies were involved in determining the budget for the operation of the national concessionary travel scheme in 2006-07.

Tavish Scott: The budget of £159 million for the operation of the Scotland-wide free bus travel scheme for older and disabled people in 2006-07 was negotiated in agreement with the Confederation of Passenger Transport. The methodology applied in arriving at the budget involved a range of expenditure assumptions informed by research on concessionary travel schemes, census data, propensity to travel surveys and other detailed information following the introduction of free local off-peak travel in Scotland on 30 September 2002.

Concessionary Travel

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what contingency measures exist to cover the possibility of one or more of the major bus operators withdrawing from the national concessionary travel scheme.

Tavish Scott: As the scheme provides for compulsory participation by all eligible bus operators the possibility of major bus operators withdrawing from the scheme is not an issue.

Concessionary Travel

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the Companion Card system is subject to abuse and, if so, whether it is an appropriate option for the national concessionary travel scheme, in light of the identification by Audit Scotland of "higher than expected usage" of the national concessionary travel scheme in 2006-07.

Tavish Scott: Audit Scotland did not identify "higher than expected usage". The current scheme merely continues to facilitate the long established option in local authority schemes of a companion traveller for more severely disabled passengers.

Concessionary Travel

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive how, and in what circumstances, the capping powers under the national concessionary travel scheme would be invoked against a bus operator.

Tavish Scott: In the event that total reimbursement payments for 2006-07 were, in the opinion of Transport Scotland, likely to clearly exceed the agreed budget then capping powers may be invoked. This would however be a pro-rata cap applicable to all 300 or so participating bus operators rather than on a selective basis against individual operators.

Concessionary Travel

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is envisaged that capping powers under the national concessionary travel scheme will be invoked against bus operators in 2006-07 and, if so, to what extent.

Tavish Scott: At this stage there are no plans to invoke the capping powers.

Concessionary Travel

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is envisaged that individuals eligible for free national bus travel will be subject to future restrictions, such as free bus travel only being possible outwith peak travel times.

Tavish Scott: The Executive has no current plans to amend the operation of the Scotland-wide free bus travel scheme for older and disabled people in the way suggested.

Concessionary Travel

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures will be employed to safeguard rural or semi-rural bus routes which are only financially viable due to the revenue generated from the carriage of concessionary passengers and would be vulnerable to any reduction in such revenue resulting from any restrictions imposed to address the "higher than expected usage" of the national concessionary travel scheme in 2006-07 identified by Audit Scotland.

Tavish Scott: Transport Scotland, who manage the Scotland-wide free bus travel scheme for older and disabled people, consider that the risk of the scheme exceeding its budget due to higher than expected usage is minimal. The Executive has therefore no plans to impose any restrictions on the scheme.

Concessionary Travel

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when a national concessionary travel scheme for young people will be implemented and whether the scheme will be "initially for all in full time education or training" as stated in A Partnership for a Better Scotland .

Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28309 on 22 September 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Concessionary Travel

Ms Maureen Watt (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28606 by Tavish Scott on 6 October 2006, whether it has given any consideration to the potential use of the National Entitlement Card for local crossrail projects and, if so, what guidance it has issued on the matter.

Tavish Scott: We have no plans to extend the Scotland-wide free bus travel scheme for older and disabled people to include local crossrail projects. However, local authorities have retained responsibility and resources, through their Grant Aided Expenditure allocations, to provide local concessions using the National Entitlement Card on forms of transport other than bus, including rail, at their discretion.

Council Tax

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to change the council tax bandings for houses built through affordable housing and shared ownership schemes.

George Lyon: We are currently awaiting the findings of the Local Government Finance Review Committee, who are reviewing the different forms of local taxation, including reform of the council tax. We will want to look very carefully at those findings and it would not therefore be appropriate to consider changes to council tax bandings in advance of this report.

Dentistry

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in Grampian are not on an NHS dentist’s list.

Lewis Macdonald: This information is not held centrally.

Drug and Alcohol Misuse

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many units of accommodation are provided for (a) drug misusers, (b) alcohol misusers and (c) both drug and alcohol misusers within the independent health care services category of care services.

Lewis Macdonald: The Care Commission registers all independent health care services under the service type "Independent Health Care Service" and does not register services based on the client group type.

  However, we understand that (as at 2 October 2006), three (3) registered independent health care services provide services for the client group, alcohol and drug misuse.

Drug and Alcohol Misuse

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many units of accommodation are provided for (a) drug misusers, (b) alcohol misusers and (c) both drug and alcohol misusers within the care home services category of care services.

Lewis Macdonald: The Care Commission registers care home services under the service type, Care Home Service and does not register services based on the client group type. However, we understand that (as at 2 October 2006), 25 care home services provide services predominantly for the client group, alcohol and drug misuse.

Emergency Services

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the per capita budget allocation was to each fire and rescue service board in each of the last seven years.

Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-25641 on 18 May 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Employment

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of people from (a) New Deal for Young People and (b) New Deal 25 plus entered jobs that were not sustained beyond 13 weeks duration in each year since these programmes began.

Allan Wilson: The UK Government is responsible for New Deal programmes. The following data is provided by the Department for Work and Pensions.

  Table 1 and table 2 show the number of individuals going into jobs and the proportion which were not sustained for 13 weeks for the New Deal for Young People and New Deal 25+ respectively in Scotland for each year since 1998.

  Table 1 Number of individuals entering jobs when leaving New Deal for Young People and proportion not sustained, Scotland

  

 
Jobs Gained
Proportion Not Sustained


1998
7,760
9.9%


1999
13,870
14.3%


2000
11,680
14.4%


2001
9,390
14.7%


2002
9,190
15.6%


2003
8,880
16.8%


2004
9,250
18.7%


2005
7,830
22.9%



  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Tabulation tool.

  Notes:

  1. A sustained job is a job from which a participant does not return to Jobseekers Allowance within 13 weeks.

  2. The year used is the year the job was gained.

  Table 2 Number of individuals entering jobs when leaving New Deal 25+ and proportion not sustained, Scotland

  

 
Jobs Gained
Proportion Not Sustained


1998
620
19.4%


1999
2,340
17.1%


2000
2,660
16.5%


2001
3,750
16.3%


2002
5,410
19.2%


2003
5,350
19.3%


2004
5,030
18.5%


2005
4,560
21.3%



  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Tabulation tool.

  Notes:

  1. A sustained job is a job from which a participant does not return to Jobseekers Allowance within 13 weeks.

  2. The year used is the year the job was gained.

European Union

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list any EU directives in relation to which it is currently facing infringement proceedings.

Mr Tom McCabe: A list of those EU directives in respect of which infraction proceedings are in progress against the Scottish Executive for which European Commission has issued a reasoned opinion, has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 40708). In accordance with normal practice, details of infraction cases are not made available until they reach this stage in the process.

European Union

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to respond to the European Commission’s Green Paper on a Maritime Policy and what plans it has to seek the views of stakeholders.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is currently considering how it shall respond to the European Green Paper on Maritime Policy and is doing so in close co-operation with the UK Government. Engaging with stakeholders is vital in allowing the Scottish Executive to take an informed position on this green paper. Given the wide ranging scope of this green paper Executive officials are currently liaising with a number of stakeholders across a range of policy areas.

  EU Commissioner Borg (Fisheries and Maritime) visited Aberdeen, Shetland and Stornoway earlier this month. I accompanied the Commissioner during this visit and we engaged with a variety of stakeholders. The maritime green paper was the subject of discussion at the UKOOA Annual Energy Breakfast and a formal dinner in Shetland as part of this visit.

  Finally, the Executive is working closely and providing assistance to the European and External Relations Committee in its preparations for a stakeholder event on this green paper on 4 December 2006.

Ferry Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is available for port infrastructure improvements in Edinburgh or Fife to promote fast ferries or other maritime links.

Tavish Scott: Government funding is not generally available for port infrastructure improvements, although freight grants may be available depending on the nature of the project proposed. The Scottish Executive has received no detailed proposals involving fast ferries or other maritime links between Edinburgh and Fife.

Ferry Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote or support fast ferries or other such maritime links in the Firth of Forth.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive has agreed to contribute towards the £15,000 costs of a hovercraft demonstration on the Firth of Forth due to be held in 2007. It is too early to comment on further potential support in the absence of more detailed proposals.

Health

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how often its representative attends meetings of the Stakeholder Advisory Group on electromagnetic fields.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is represented on the Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAGE) on ELF (extremely low frequency) and EMF (electric magnetic fields) by a Senior Scientific Adviser from the Scottish Executive Health Department. He attends meetings of the main SAGE Group which are held at approximately six month intervals.

Health

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit is of the Stakeholder Advisory Group on electromagnetic fields.

Lewis Macdonald: A background briefing note on Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAGE) on ELF (extremely low frequency) and EMF (electric magnetic fields) was placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 38663) in January 2006. This includes details of the group’s remit.

Health

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has given the Stakeholder Advisory Group on electromagnetic fields.

Lewis Macdonald: The aim of the Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAGE) on ELF (extremely low frequency) and EMF (electric magnetic fields) process is to allow stakeholders to consider implications of a precautionary approach to power frequency electric and magnetic fields and make practical recommendations for precautionary measures. The Scottish Executive representative has offered factual advice to the SAGE group on issues relevant to developments in Scotland.

Health

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what expertise its representative on Stakeholder Advisory Group on electromagnetic fields has in this area.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive representative on the Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAGE) on ELF (extremely low frequency) and EMF (electric magnetic fields) is a Senior Scientific Adviser to the Scottish Executive Health Department.

Health

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-25655 by Mr Andy Kerr on 18 May 2006, what the membership is of the implementation group for the review of neurosurgery services in Scotland and who the representatives are of patient groups.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Neuroscience Implementation group is chaired by John Glennie, the Chief Executive of NHS Borders.

  The membership comprises representatives, on a multi-disciplinary basis, from each of the specialties and sub-specialties making up neuroscience, who have been identified with the help of the Scottish Neurosciences Council following consultation within each specialty and sub-specialty. It also includes representatives of patients, primary care, NHS management, NHS staff, the Scottish Ambulance Service, Board Medical Directors and NHS Quality Improvement Scotland.

  Patients’ interests are represented by the Scottish Neurological Alliance, in view of the fact that the service being developed relates to the whole of Scotland. At its first meeting, the group will be asked to agree an involvement and communications strategy so that everyone with an interest in the service has opportunities to engage with the process of developing the service model set out in Delivering for Health.

Health

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-25656 by Mr Andy Kerr on 18 May 2006, whether the implementation group for the review of neurosurgery services in Scotland has met and what its schedule is for future meetings.

Mr Andy Kerr: The first meeting of the Neuroscience Implementation Group will take place towards the end of November 2006. It will meet at regular intervals during the coming year in order to be able to submit proposals to the Executive by December 2007.

Hospitals

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital meals were left untouched in each year since 2001-02, expressed also as a percentage of the total number of patient main meals in each year.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not collected centrally.

Justice

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been found guilty of committing an offence specifically involving child victims in each year since 1999.

Cathy Jamieson: The available information is given in the following table. The statistics relate only to convictions where by definition of the offence the victim involved was a child. Convictions for other offences which involved a child victim, for example assault, cannot be identified separately within the available statistics

  Persons with a Charge Proved for Offences which by Definition Involve a Child Victim1, 1999-2000 to 2004-05

  

Year
1999-2000
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05


Number
368
342
381
398
538
545



  Note: 1. Where main offence includes cruelty to and unnatural treatment, of children, child stealing (plagium), exposing child under seven to risk of burning, lewd and libidinous practices, defilement of girl under 13, defilement of girl under 16, person with custody etc of girl or other causing her seduction, grooming of children for purposes of sexual offences, procuration of sexual offences for children under 18, procuration of child under 18 for pornography, drunk in charge of a child and handling obscene publications (offences under sections 52 and 52A of the Civic Government(Scotland) Act 1982).

Justice

Ms Maureen Watt (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the most common motoring offences were for which a conviction or fine has been issued in each year since 1999, broken down by gender.

Cathy Jamieson: The available information on the relative frequency of motoring offences resulting in a charge proved in court is given in the following tables.

  Motor Vehicle Offences with a Charge Proved in Scottish Courts – Male Offenders, 1999-2000 to 2004-05

  

Type of offence
1999-2000
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05


Total offences
69,201
55,333
62,014
67,516
68,524
62,538


Serious Driving Offences
 
 
 
 
 
 


Dangerous driving
934
808
924
1,163
1,131
1,181


Careless driving
3,713
2,724
3,347
3,439
3,707
3,396


Drunk Driving
7,754
6,517
6,719
9,440
8,075
8,964


 of which:
 
 
 
 
 
 


 Driving while unfit through drink or drugs
375
397
426
542
401
374


 In charge while unfit through drink or drugs
56
48
50
65
59
43


 Driving with excess blood alcohol
6,000
4,813
5,031
7,285
6,294
5,970


 In charge with excess blood alcohol
306
242
246
407
354
334


 Failing to provide breath specimen at the roadside
268
252
226
250
202
229


 Failing to provide breath, blood or urine specimen at a police station
749
765
740
891
765
816


Failing to stop after accident
2,025
1,209
1,344
1,299
1,259
1,198


Driving while disqualified
3,124
3,214
3,264
3,894
3,768
3,358


Speeding Offences
 
 
 
 
 
 


Speeding in restricted areas
7,265
4,045
2,983
2,141
2,708
2,511


Other speeding offences1
6,752
4,565
6,105
6,574
8,382
9,122


Signal and Direction Offences
 
 
 
 
 
 


Traffic direction offences
1,577
1,136
1,485
1,053
849
729


Pedestrian crossing offences
223
166
211
152
184
136


Lighting, Construction and Use Offences
 
 
 
 
 
 


Lighting offences
1,020
743
1,041
937
875
642


Construction and use regulations
2,610
1,707
1,590
2,122
2,392
2,261


Documentation Offences
 
 
 
 
 
 


Vehicle excise licence offences
3,821
3,924
3,822
2,842
2,438
2,246


No test certificate
2,861
2,585
3,143
3,166
3,165
2,163


Driving licence offences
5,511
5,002
6,395
7,829
8,077
7,220


Third party insurance offences
13,904
12,639
15,324
17,501
17,461
14,790


Registration/identification offences
370
157
156
147
231
192


Other Offences
 
 
 
 
 
 


Failure to provide information to identify driver
75
66
175
264
244
212


Tachograph etc offences
1,598
962
814
968
1,077
1,353


Seat belt offences
2,627
2,129
2,069
1,804
1,746
1,079


Parking offences 
254
55
14
16
8
8


Other offences
1,183
980
1,089
765
747
975



  Note: 1. Includes motorway and clearway offences.

  Motor Vehicle Offences with a Charge Proved in Scottish Courts – Female Offenders, 1999-2000 to 2004-05

  

Type of Offence
1999-2000
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05


Total offences
7,307
6,182
6,859
8,704
9,766
9,050


Serious Driving Offences
 
 
 
 
 
 


Dangerous driving
31
23
35
47
53
52


Careless driving
586
397
502
618
706
636


Drunk Driving
773
714
755
1,247
1,117
1,209


 Driving while unfit through drink or drugs
61
36
47
66
57
77


 In charge while unfit through drink or drugs
1
5
5
12
8
6


 Driving with excess blood alcohol
544
535
577
972
835
891


 In charge with excess blood alcohol
27
21
31
47
43
50


 Failing to provide breath specimen at the roadside
42
22
27
29
38
35


 Failing to provide breath, blood or urine specimen at a police station
98
95
68
121
136
150


Failing to stop after accident
268
159
179
220
266
216


Driving while disqualified
83
99
113
199
187
176


Speeding Offences
 
 
 
 
 
 


Speeding in restricted areas
1,084
617
465
445
622
616


Other speeding offences1
672
526
779
999
1,364
1,589


Signal and Direction Offences
 
 
 
 
 
 


Traffic direction offences
134
141
187
195
139
136


Pedestrian crossing offences
56
40
33
33
34
33


Lighting, Construction and Use Offences
 
 
 
 
 
 


Lighting offences
103
72
91
103
90
67


Construction and use regulations
186
126
133
173
204
164


Documentation Offences
 
 
 
 
 
 


Vehicle excise licence offences
660
750
707
591
616
541


No test certificate
276
292
317
379
470
283


Driving licence offences
544
546
638
931
1,166
1,001


Third party insurance offences
1,341
1,292
1,516
2,136
2,305
1,967


Registration/identification offences
24
9
11
11
16
19


Other Offences
 
 
 
 
 
 


Failure to provide information to identify driver
9
8
11
31
26
31


Tachograph etc offences
5
6
6
3
2
4


Seat belt offences
305
272
287
282
272
156


Parking offences 
69
11
4
-
-
-


Other offences
98
82
90
61
111
154



  Note: 1. Includes motorway and clearway offences.

Local Government Finance

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive how the decrease in local authority grants, identified by Professor Arthur Midwinter in a briefing note for the Finance Committee on 12 September 2006, will impact on delivery of Scottish pre-school and school education, given that 85% of the education budget comes from local authority grant aided expenditure.

Robert Brown: Professor Midwinter’s briefing note to the Finance Committee refers to grant funding which is outwith and additional to grant aided expenditure (GAE) which forms part of the local government finance settlement for core local authority services, including education. There has been no reduction in GAE so there is no impact on funding of services supported from GAE including pre-school and school education. Resources from the local government finance settlement will have increased by almost £3 billion by the end of the current Spending Review period compared to 1999-2000.

  The Draft Budget 2007-08 document includes a summary of this additional specific grant funding but it is inappropriate to compare budget figures for 2006-07 with plans for 2007-08 and then to conclude that there is a reduction in Executive funding. There are several reasons why the 2007-08 figures appear lower than in 2006-07. For example, some grant funding is demand-led, some resources have been transferred from specific grants into the core settlement and some funding for 2007-08 had not been confirmed at the time the figures were compiled.

Ministerial Correspondence

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what top five subjects were raised by individual members of the public with the Minister and Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development, as measured by volume of written correspondence over the last 12 months.

Ms Margaret Curran: The top five subjects raised by the public with the Minister and Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development, as measured by the volume of correspondence during the period 1 September 2005 to 29 August 2006, are as follows:

  1. Tail docking of dogs in Scotland

  2. Threat to marine mammal species from Firth of Forth ship-to-ship transfer of oil

  3. National Farm Workers Union’s concerns over the power of supermarkets

  4. Animal Health and Welfare Scotland Bill

  5. Eradication of Hedgehogs in the Western Isles.

NHS Staff

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many midwives have graduated in each of the last five years.

Mr Andy Kerr: Midwifery completions by year of completion for the last five years are set out in the following table.

  

Year of Completion
Three-Year Direct-Entry Programme
18-Month Shortened Programme for Qualified Nurses
Total


2000-01
124
65
189


2001-02
138
59
197


2002-03
137
45
182


2003-04
156
35
191


2004-05
154
26
180



  Source: NES Computerised Training Index, October 2006.

  Notes:

  1. Years run from 1 April to 31 March.

  2. These people have successfully completed midwifery programmes of preparation and hence have become eligible to register as midwives with the Nursing & Midwifery Council, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) has no knowledge of how many actually choose to register, or of where or whether they subsequently practise as midwives.

NHS Staff

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many qualified midwives have obtained a training place within one year of graduating in each of the last five years.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally. The Scottish Executive has a Partnership Agreement commitment to ensure that every newly qualified nurse and midwife who wishes to work in NHS Scotland receives an offer of employment. All midwives who register with the One Year Guarantee Scheme are assisted to find suitable employment.

NHS Staff

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies there are for midwives, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: Table 1 shows the whole-time equivalent number of registered vacancies within maternity services at 31 March 2006 by individual NHS board. These are largely accounted for by Registered Midwives.

  

 
Whole-Time Equivalent (WTE)


Scotland
46.2


NHS Argyll and Clyde
1.0


NHS Ayrshire and Arran
1.3


NHS Borders
-


NHS Dumfries and Galloway
3.0


NHS Fife
0.7


NHS Forth Valley
-


NHS Grampian
10.1


NHS Greater Glasgow
17.0


NHS Highland
4.6


NHS Lanarkshire
2.5


NHS Lothian
1.0


NHS Orkney
-


NHS Shetland 
-


NHS Tayside
4.0


NHS Western Isles
1.0



  Source: ISD Scotland, NHS Workforce Statistics.

  Note: 1. The vacancy figures relate to posts vacant at 31 March, irrespective of when the vacancy arose.

  Latest available data is at 31 March 2006.

Nuclear Waste

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will respond to the recommendations made by the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management.

Ross Finnie: The Executive is responding today to the report from the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM). Similar responses are being made in Westminster and the National Assembly for Wales. I thank the chair, Gordon MacKerron, and the members of the committee for the effort which they have put into producing their unanimous report.

  CoRWM was asked to recommend the option, or combination of options, for the long-term management of the UK’s higher activity radioactive wastes, which provides protection for people and the environment. CoRWM’s report, together with the decisions that I, and my fellow ministers in Westminster and Wales, are announcing today, will complete the second stage of the Government’s Managing Radioactive Waste Safely (MRWS) programme, which we announced in July 2002.

  Government (note that in this answer "Government" refers to the UK Government and the devolved administrations) believes that CoRWM’s report provides a sound basis to move forward and we will continue to work together as we enter the next stage of the MRWS programme.

  We accept CoRWM’s recommendations that the UK’s higher activity legacy wastes, and those arising from existing nuclear activities, should be managed in the long-term through geological disposal, and the continuing need for safe and secure interim storage from which material will be retrievable until geological disposal is available. We also agree with CoRWM that we must continue to build on the momentum that it has helped to establish.

  As CoRWM’s report observes, geological disposal is the approach being adopted in many countries, including in Belgium, France, Finland, Germany, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland and the US. Nevertheless, securing geological disposal represents a major challenge and will require a commitment over many decades.

  We accept CoRWM’s recommendations that the process for developing a geological disposal option should be undertaken on a staged basis, with clear decision points. This approach will allow Government to review progress, assess costs and value for money and environmental impact before decisions are taken to move to the next stage.

  Planning and development of the geological disposal option must be based on four key pillars:

  first, a strong and effective implementing organisation, with clear responsibilities and accountabilities;

  second, strong independent regulation by the statutory regulators - the Health and Safety Executive, the environment agencies and the Office for Civil Nuclear Security;

  third, independent advice to Government on implementation, and

  fourth, a partnership with the host community.

  Safe and secure storage of radioactive wastes already falls within the remit of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) established under the Energy Act 2004. We have decided that responsibility for securing geological disposal of these higher activity wastes should also fall to the NDA, so as to create one organisation able to take a strategic view through all stages of the waste management chain, accountable in a clear and transparent way to regulators and to Government.

  The NDA is already subject to statutory safety, environmental protection and security obligations, and its contractors are subject to regulation by the environment agencies, the Health and Safety Executive and Office for Civil Nuclear Security. Its strategy and annual plans are subject to approval by Government.

  We will ensure that the longer term radioactive waste management interests of Government are appropriately represented in the NDA’s strategy and that it has governance arrangements to reflect its increased responsibilities.

  In order to enable the NDA to begin to undertake its increased responsibilities as soon as possible, Government proposes to augment the NDA’s capabilities by incorporation of skills and technology from United Kingdom Nirex Ltd (Nirex).

  The second pillar is robust regulatory arrangements. The independent environment and nuclear safety regulators believe that this proposal will provide a framework that they can regulate in a strong and effective manner. They are content that the NDA will be responsible for implementing the geological disposal programme, as part of which a contractor with responsibility for delivery will be appointed as soon as practicable. The regulators’ support is of major importance, as strong independent regulation is key both to ensuring the safety of people and the environment and securing confidence and trust in the delivery arrangements.

  We remain committed to the need for independent advice, which is the third key pillar of our approach. A successor independent committee will be appointed to give advice on the plans for the long-term management of radioactive waste.

  CoRWM has set the standards for open and transparent advice that not only takes into account the best available scientific and other expert input but also the views of the public and stakeholders. It has also built up support and brand-recognition.

  The new committee will therefore maintain the current name, but its membership will be reconstituted to reflect its role in the next stage of the MRWS programme. CoRWM will be sponsored by the UK Government and the devolved administrations.

  The committee’s primary function will be to advise Government on the delivery of a geological disposal programme. It will make its advice available to the UK Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales, as has been done by CoRWM.

  The circumstances surrounding the long-term disposal of radioactive waste are unique. We have made it clear that we are not seeking to impose radioactive waste on any community. In this context, we are strongly supportive of exploring the concept of voluntarism/partnership arrangements with the local authorities serving communities who might be affected. However, as CoRWM recognises, there is a need to consider further how such arrangements could work in practice.

  This is our fourth key pillar and we will be looking to further develop what is meant by a voluntarist/partnership approach including:

  the stages and decision points;

  how communities would be involved;

  the role of democratically elected bodies,

  and the potential for Involvement and Community Packages as suggested by CoRWM.

  Disposal facilities will only be built in a geologically suitable area, and we will also consider how geological and scientific considerations will be meshed with other societal considerations as, for a successful programme, all criteria will need to be met.

  To inform this consideration, we shall be discussing with key stakeholders how a voluntarism and partnership arrangement could work in practice. I invite any local authority, or group of local authorities, in Scotland who wishes to be involved in these discussions to contact me, or my officials, directly. UK and Welsh ministers are making similar offers.

  It must be stressed that any future geological disposal programme will be a wholly new process, divorced from the historical Nirex process. Lessons have been learned from that. We are also determined that the new approach will be carried out from the beginning in an open and transparent way with appropriate opportunity for public and stakeholder, as well as expert, involvement.

  In light of this further work, Government will produce an implementation framework and publish it for consultation as soon as practicable next year.

  Government accepts that ultimately it is responsible for the safe disposal of the current stocks of waste and waste which will arise from existing nuclear activities, and it will have to provide for its long term management through the funding of the NDA.

  This reply, and the more detailed response which I am publishing today - copies of which have been placed in SPICe - completes Stage 2 of the Managing Radioactive Waste Safely programme. We are now entering Stage 3 - planning for implementation.

  We aim to be able to move to Phase 4 - the final implementation Stage - in 2008, confident that the sharing of information and viewpoints and the transparency of the CoRWM process has been maintained.

  I believe that our responses today demonstrate Government’s commitment to taking forward this important and long-term task to ensure the safe and secure management of our radioactive waste.

Police

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the per capita budget allocation was to each police board in each of the last seven years.

Cathy Jamieson: : The information is as follows:

  Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) Per Capita Allocation to Forces

  

YearForce
2000-01£
2001-02£
2002-03£
2003-04£
2004-05£
2005-06£
2006-07£


Central
120
127
132
144
150
162
169


Dumfries and Galloway
146
153
157
168
177
189
196


Fife
119
126
127
141
149
163
167


Grampian
120
130
138
150
161
170
178


Lothian and Borders
150
159
168
180
188
198
205


Northern
140
154
158
169
175
179
190


Strathclyde
156
168
177
191
201
216
225


Tayside
149
158
164
177
184
196
203


Total
145
155
163
176
185
197
205

Police

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many officers in Lothian and Borders Police are in funded posts and by whom the posts are funded.

Cathy Jamieson: The information requested is shown in the following table.

  Funded Police Officer Posts in Lothian and Borders

  

Sponsor
No. of Posts


The City of Edinburgh Council
75


Scottish Borders Council
3


Midlothian Council
1


East Lothian Council
1


West Lothian Council
1

Police

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new police recruits have joined Lothian and Borders Police in each month since May 1999.

Cathy Jamieson: Information on the number of officers recruited in each month is not held centrally. Figures are collected on an annual basis and that information is shown in the following table.

  Lothian and Borders Police

  Number of New Police Recruits

  

1999-2000
62


2000-01
189


2001-02
157


2002-03
131


2003-04
198


2004-05
181


2005-06
159



  Source: Annual Statistical Returns submitted by forces to HM Inspectorate of Constabulary.

Prison Service

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to enforce a drug-free regime in prisons.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  The SPS approach on drugs is to reduce supply, reduce demand and reduce harm from drugs taken in prison, before or after, and to provide appropriate interventions for prisoners to help them overcome their addictions.

Prison Service

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are in place to ensure that both male and female prison officers are available to search prisoners at visiting times.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The Scottish Prison Service maintains their operational capability to search prisoners at visiting times through their rostering of operational staff, taking into account the gender balance required for particular operations.

Rail Network

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that the procurement process for the rolling stock required by the Airdrie to Bathgate rail link has been commissioned.

Tavish Scott: Transport Scotland continues to have dialogue with train manufacturers, rolling stock leasing companies, Network Rail and First ScotRail about the specification of a fleet of rolling stock for a range of projects (including Airdrie to Bathgate rail link) and other passenger growth initiatives.

  Our current timescales suggest that the rolling stock procurement plan will be complete during 2007 to facilitate the procurement process, and will take cognisance of Parliament agreeing the Airdrie to Bathgate Railway and Linked Improvements Bill. Delivery will be on a phased basis commencing in late 2009.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Rail Services

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28063 by Tavish Scott on 29 September 2006, who made each of the three representations in support of regular rail services between Lanark and Edinburgh and when each was made.

Tavish Scott: Representations were received from Clydesdale Rail Action Group on 12 January 2006 and South Lanarkshire Council on 9 January 2006. These were in response to the Consultation on Rail Priorities.

  The third representation was received on 27 July 2006 from a couple visiting Lanarkshire.

Research and Development

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28051 by Lewis Macdonald on 20 September 2006, how many medical innovations which have received public research and development funding support received further funding from the Executive to support them to be piloted within the NHS.

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28051 by Lewis Macdonald on 20 September 2006, whether any funding has been set aside to assist companies which received public funding to support research and development for medical innovations to progress these innovations within the NHS.

Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-27336 on 28 August 2006, which detailed the background to the funding of these projects. No further funding has been allocated from the Executive to support the piloting of commercial medical innovation. The potential viability, or otherwise, of a medical innovation is a commercial matter for those concerned. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Research and Development

Dr Jean Turner (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28051 by Lewis Macdonald on 20 September 2006, what efforts are being made to ensure that the NHS benefits from medical innovations which have been developed by Scottish companies receiving public funding to support their research and development activities.

Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the question S2W-28050 answered on 6 October 2006.

  The Deputy First Minister and Health Minister met representatives of the life science industry on 5 October 2006. We are currently considering the proposals made by the industry representatives and I shall keep the member informed of developments.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliaments website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Research and Development

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage the Scottish higher education sector to co-operate in building a partnership to promote an Aberdeen-led Scottish bid to be the hub for the proposed Energy Technologies Institute.

Allan Wilson: We are working in partnership with key universities across Scotland, the Scottish Funding Council and the Scottish Science Advisory Council to develop a comprehensive and co-ordinated bid to attract a significant proportion of the Energy Technologies Institute’s research funds to centres of excellence in Scotland, including Aberdeen.

Road Accidents

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) adult and (b) child cyclists have been (i) injured and (ii) killed in each of the last 10 years.

Tavish Scott: The information requested can be obtained from the figures which are given in tables 6 and 7 of Key 2005 Road Accident Statistics and in the Summary road accident and casualty statistics table (which covers the years from 1994 to 2004, inclusive) on page 17 of Road Accidents Scotland 2004 . Both were published by the Scottish Executive in 2006. Copies are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. numbers 40637 and 38777, respectively).

Road Safety

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that a 60mph speed limit is appropriate on a road outside a primary school which provides pupils with direct access to the school.

Tavish Scott: No, we would like to see the introduction of a 20mph speed limit around all schools. It is, however, a matter for each traffic authority to decide, based on their knowledge of the locations, whether or not to implement such a limit at individual schools on roads for which they have statutory responsibility.

Road Safety

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive by which mechanism local authorities accessed the £27 million, made available from 2003-04 over a three-year period, to introduce 20mph speed limits outside schools.

Tavish Scott: Grant is made available under section 40 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 as amended by section 76 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001. The funds are provided to local authorities on receipt of a claim in respect of expenditure incurred, submitted under the terms of a schedule of grant conditions.

Road Safety

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it supplied to each local authority in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05 and (c) 2005-06 to introduce 20mph speed limits outside schools.

Tavish Scott: The information requested is given in the following table. The table includes additional funding for the periods 2006-07 and 2007-08 made available as part of the Spending Review 2004.

  

Authority
2003-04
(£ Million)

2004-05
(£ Million)

2005-06(£ Million)
2006-07
(£ Million)
2007-08
(£ Million)
Total
(£ Million)


Aberdeen City
0.188
0.408
0.408
0.457
0.466
1.927


Aberdeenshire
0.211
0.467
0.467
0.512
0.526
2.183


Angus
0.107
0.234
0.233
0.239
0.244
1.057


Argyll and Bute
0.095
0.212
0.211
0.203
0.209
0.930


Clackmannanshire
0.045
0.099
0.099
0.107
0.109
0.459


Dumfries and Galloway
0.150
0.330
0.330
0.327
0.334
1.471


Dundee City
0.152
0.331
0.330
0.312
0.317
1.442


East Ayrshire
0.117
0.257
0.257
0.264
0.271
1.166


East Dunbartonshire
0.099
0.220
0.220
0.238
0.243
1.020


East Lothian
0.082
0.183
0.183
0.210
0.217
0.875


East Renfrewshire
0.083
0.186
0.186
0.204
0.211
0.870


Edinburgh, City of
0.399
0.875
0.876
1.013
1.044
4.207


Eilean Siar
0.043
0.093
0.091
0.057
0.058
0.342


Falkirk
0.132
0.294
0.295
0.330
0.340
1.391


Fife
0.331
0.736
0.738
0.792
0.815
3.412


Glasgow City
0.653
1.414
1.412
1.274
1.304
6.057


Highland
0.224
0.496
0.494
0.465
0.478
2.157


Inverclyde
0.087
0.189
0.189
0.183
0.186
0.834


Midlothian
0.076
0.169
0.169
0.184
0.190
0.788


Moray
0.082
0.182
0.182
0.192
0.196
0.834


North Ayrshire
0.135
0.296
0.295
0.300
0.306
1.332


North Lanarkshire
0.310
0.680
0.682
0.720
0.739
3.131


Orkney
0.030
0.065
0.065
0.042
0.043
0.245


Perth and Kinross
0.128
0.284
0.285
0.306
0.315
1.318


Renfrewshire
0.169
0.370
0.371
0.379
0.388
1.677


Scottish Borders
0.108
0.239
0.239
0.243
0.251
1.080


Shetland
0.038
0.084
0.083
0.049
0.051
0.305


South Ayrshire
0.108
0.236
0.236
0.247
0.253
0.580


South Lanarkshire
0.288
0.637
0.638
0.676
0.694
2.933


Stirling
0.084
0.187
0.188
0.198
0.204
0.861


West Dunbartonshire
0.101
0.220
0.220
0.204
0.209
0.954


West Lothian
0.145
0.327
0.328
0.373
0.387
1.560


Scotland
5.000
11.000
11.000
11.300
11.600
49.900

Road Safety

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the implementation of its policy, stated in ETLLD Circular No.1/2004, "that a 20 mph speed limit should be the norm outside schools".

Tavish Scott: Local authorities are asked to provide details twice yearly of the number of schools in their area which have had a 20mph speed limit implemented. By the end of June 2006, 20mph schemes were in place at two-thirds of schools.

Roads

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the draft orders for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route will be laid.

Tavish Scott: The Draft Road Order for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and Stonehaven Fastlink and draft De-trunking Orders are expected to be published in December 2006 together with the draft Side Roads orders and draft Compulsory Purchase Order for the section north of Kingswells. The remaining draft Side Roads Orders and draft Compulsory Purchase Orders will be published during 2007.

Rural Development

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the responses to its consultation on the proposed Scottish Rural Development Plan, also showing the names of those who were consulted and an analysis of the responses to the questions asked in the consultation process.

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Agricultural College has received the responses to the consultation on the Scottish Rural Development Plan (SRDP); whether the college has collated and analysed the responses and, if so, when it completed the work; whether the results of the analysis will be made public; whether the results have been provided to the SRDP and LMC Stakeholder groups and what the reasons are for its position on the matter, and whether the results will be provided to the groups before any proposals for the SRDP are finalised and before they are submitted to the European Commission for approval.

Ross Finnie: The consultation on the Scotland Rural Development Plan 2007-13 attracted 259 written responses, which have been analysed by the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) on behalf of the Scottish Executive. The final report has since been finalised and published on the Scottish Executive website.

  For data protection reasons, it would not be proper for me to release personal information on individuals. Table 1: SRDP Consultation List, provides details of the organisations to whom the Executive sent the consultation to in that first phase, and is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 40741).

  Copies of the responses themselves, including contact details where the consultee has agreed that their response can be made public, are available from the Scottish Executive library.

  The results of the consultation are helping to inform our consideration of the future content of the SRDP and will be a major factor as we develop the Programme in advance of its formal submission to Brussels. In addition to placing the report of the consultation on the Scottish Executive website, my officials have circulated it to the SRDP and LMC stakeholder group in advance of finalising the proposals for submitting the SRDP to the European Commission.

Transport

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the distribution of money from the Rural Transport Fund for 2006-07 and what the indicative allocation figures are for (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09.

Tavish Scott: No ministerial announcement was made specifically about the Rural Transport Fund allocations for 2006-07.

  The Rural Transport Fund comprises three elements: - the Rural Public Passenger Transport Grant Scheme, the Rural Community Transport Initiative and the Rural Petrol Stations Grant Scheme. £8.7 million and £8.9 million were allocated to the Fund for 2006-07 and 2007-08 respectively and have been distributed as follows:

  

Grant Scheme
2006-07(£ Million)
2007-08(£ Million)


Rural Public Passenger Transport Grant
6.3
6.4*


Rural Community Transport Initiative
1.8
1.9


Rural Petrol Stations Grant Scheme
0.6
0.6


Total
8.7
8.9



  Note: *I announced earlier this week that the Rural Public Passenger Transport Grant allocation has been boosted by an additional £1 million for 2007-08 bringing the total allocation to £7.4 million.

  The 2008-09 budget for the Rural Transport Fund has still to be decided.

Transport

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was made available to Scottish Borders Council from the Rural Transport Fund in each financial year since 1999-2000 and how much will be made available for 2007-08 and any future years for which figures are known.

Tavish Scott: The Rural Transport Fund comprises three elements:- the Rural Community Transport Initiative (RCTI), the Rural Petrol Stations Grant Scheme (RPSGS) and the Rural Public Passenger Transport Grant Scheme (RPPTGS). Scottish Borders Council received no funding under RCTI or RPSGS as these grants are paid to voluntary organisations and petrol stations respectively. However, the Council has received RPPTG as follows:

  1999-2000 - £0.158 million

  2000-01 - £0.167 million

  2001-02 - £0.193 million

  2002-03 - £0.212 million

  2003-04 - £0.230 million

  2004-05 - £0.262 million

  2005-06 - £0.276 million

  2006-07 - £0.285 million.

  The allocation for 2007-08 will be £0.356 million. The amount of funding for 2008-09 and future years has still to be considered.